Government Budget-Saving Scenarios: Reduced Working Hours and Work-From-Home for Civil Servants

Jakarta — President Prabowo Subianto has instructed the government to implement budget-saving measures following escalating conflict in the Middle East after the United States and Israel attacked Iran.

The President made this announcement during a full cabinet session at the State Palace in the Presidential Complex, Central Jakarta, on Friday (13 March 2026).

During the session, Prabowo cited Pakistan’s budgetary retrenchment following increased conflict escalation as an example. The President outlined several cost-cutting options available to the government, including implementing work-from-home (WFH) arrangements for civil servants (ASN), operational efficiency measures, and fuel savings.

Prabowo noted that Indonesia has prior experience managing crises, referring to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic response.

“I want this discussed further by the coordinating ministers, and we can see how many days this takes. Let us think about it. We successfully managed Covid-19 before, and we were capable of doing so,” Prabowo stated.

“For example, some civil servants and officials need not come to the office, which would reduce traffic congestion and achieve significant savings. We must also consider reducing working days and implementing other cost-saving measures,” he added.

He also instructed his cabinet to study Pakistan’s approach, which treats the conflict between the United States and Iran as a critical situation warranting “critical measures”.

“This is merely an example, mind you. What I mean is that over the next few days, I believe we can assess this issue. I think we should also ensure that we implement cost-saving measures,” Prabowo concluded.